Sis Alice Sunday School 8/21/11

Sis Alice Sunday School 8/21/11

He that shall endure until the end, the same shall be saved.  Perseverance wins the crown; grace and mercy gives it.

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:11  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Job 23:12  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

His foot had held to His steps, His way have I kept.  This is the reason that he would come forth as gold.  We must keep our feet in the way.

Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Isa 50:7  For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Act 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul did not even count his life dear.

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

There will be some hard times, we’re blessed to have the comforter that guides and comforts.

2Ti 2:10  Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

2Ti 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Be dead to the things of this world, sin and self and alive to him.

2Ti 4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

2Ti 4:6  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Heb 11:27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Do we see Him who is invisible with our eyes, our mind, and our heart?  Do we hold Him near and dear?  This is what we need this morning.

Mat 24:1  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

The temple was beautiful and was a trademark of Jerusalem.  The Jews held it as an ensign of what they had built and for their worship to God.  It is a type of Jesus.

Mat 24:2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Some believe that this was the last Jesus was at the temple.

Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

You have run well who did hinder?  Take heed that no person or influence come in and deceive you.

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Being not troubled is a duty.  An example of someone that started well, lived well, and ended well is Josiah.  There is a parallel between Josiah and what was going on here.

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, or people saying “Here is Christ, or there is Christ.”, don’t be troubled. 

Our faith can only work by love.  God is love.  See that you be not troubled.  Keep your faith and trust in God alive until the end. 

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

If we get busy doing what God wants us to do and we get busy about God’s business, He will take care of ours.

When Luke was four and Jordan was nine, we’d been to a fiddling jam and on our way back, we stopped to see Cosby’s.  He said, “I want to talk to you.”  He was angry with what he’d heard in service.  She got my boys aside and began to tell them wrong things.  God spoke to my heart, “You take care of my business and I’ll take care of your boys.”  I later asked Luke what he thought of what she said.  Luke told me that the best he could figure was that the woman was talking about a whole other God; one that is not in the Bible.

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All of this came to pass when the temple was completely taken to the ground.  Now have you ever known a time when there are more floods, droughts, earthquakes?  I feel that all these things are coming to pass again.

Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

This has taken place times before, take heed that you are not a part of it.

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Many, not all, there will always be a remnant that will maintain their integrity.

Clark – It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape.

The lifeline of Josiah:

2Ki 22:1  Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.

2Ki 22:2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

This is what we want to leave as our testimony.  That once we found God we turned not aside to the right hand nor the left.

Kings went from Hezekiah to Manasseh who ruled 55 years of utter wickedness.  Amon lived 2 years and they killed him.  Josiah his son was young when he began to reign.  Isaiah lived during His time as did Zephaniah and other prophets.

Zep 1:1  The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

Hezekiah was the same as Hizkiah written of here.  Zephaniah was a son of the kings so this was not only a prophetic view point but also from a familial viewpoint.

Zep 1:2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.

Zep 1:3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

Like in Matthew, there was going to be a complete scourge.  Josiah brought about a continual reformation, it did not happen overnight; this reformation is what we want this day.

Zep 1:12  And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

This is also the circumstances of our day.  There is a complete lack of faith.  Faith in God will lead us to expect something good to happen.  When our faith is stolen or turned then our love is turned. 

Wax means ever so slightly like evaporation.  If you leave a cup of water a week you will notice how much water has gone.  It happens ever so slightly.  When there is something wrong with your faith then check your love.  We are people of pattern.  Are we willing to help someone, give a few minutes of our time to call, or be misunderstood for the sake of the saints? 

We are looking at indifference or lukewarmness: we need to not be indifferent to anything that God is concerned about.

Settled on lees means stupefied with love of pleasure and instant gratification, carless in iniquity.  It works towards drunkenness.  “Nothing good or bad will happen.”

Zep 2:1  Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Zep 2:2  Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.

Zep 2:3  Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

Gather together.  We will not make it on our own.  We need the body; we need to hear the word preached and to hear the testimonies.

Seek God, seek righteousness, and seek meekness.  Meekness is a blessing, a beautification.  There will be a refuge.

Zep 3:5  The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

Even in rough times the Lord is just.  He will not do iniquity.  The plan He designed is in His hand.

Zep 3:7  I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

Zephaniah thought they would receive instruction, but they went on their way.  It is one thing for instruction to be given, another for it to be received.  Receiving is on our part.

Zep 3:11  In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

Zep 3:12  I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

The only thing that keeps us rich is faith in God.  He is our only security.  Everything else can be swept away.  The temple that the Jews trusted in was completely demolished as will be anything that we trust in.

Zep 3:13  The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Zep 3:14  Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

Zep 3:15  The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

Zep 3:16  In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

Zep 3:17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Zep 3:18  I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

Zep 3:19  Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

Zep 3:20  At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.